9-1-1: Lone Star Review: Awakening/ Austin, We Have a Problem (Season 1 Episodes 9 and 10)

There is quite a bit to unpack from 9-1-1: Lone Star Season 1 Episodes 9 and 10, “Awakening”, and “Austin, We Have a Problem.” To be honest, there are some high points and some low points and some points that just don’t leave their mark as they should.

So, let’s start off by saying that for a first season, this show hits it out of the park every single night leading up to the finale. Then, the decision is made to make the finale a two-hour event when one hour would suffice.

Most of what is presented on the first half of the finale — otherwise known as “Awakening” — is just fluff and can kind of be left in the dust. 

Sure, the spelunking emergency and subsequent rescue are amazing and really highlight the talent that Marjan and Mateo both possess, but rarely get credit for; however, the gender reveal party and following birth are kind of forgettable and unnecessary. 

That being said, “Awakening” really brings to light TK’s insecurity about who he is and what he is meant to do in this world. It’s nice that 9-1-1: Lone Star addresses the fact that he didn’t come to Austin of his own volition and therefore could be having doubts.

It is easy to turn TK’s concerns and doubts into a big, huge dramatic thing, which “Awakening” and the following “Austin, We Have a Problem,” never does. In fact, it handles the whole situation with grace and compassion.

TK and Owen are given the opportunity to have an actual heart-to-heart sitdown where Owen is given the opportunity to support and reassure his son that a decision doesn’t have to be made right away. Seeing that dynamic between TK and Owen continue to flourish and thrive as it has all season is one of the most remarkable scenes of the whole front half of the finale. 

Owen once again shows just what kind of leader he can be when he really puts aside his own issues and focuses on his team. Recognizing in his own son that need for absolution, he silently supports TK as he seeks out the boy who shot him.

The real star this whole season has been Ronen Rubinstein. Every scene he’s had he has knocked everything out of the park. 

He is a master class on emotional acting. There is just something so incredible about the raw vulnerability that Rubinstein brings to TK that makes him more than just the words coming out of his mouth. 

I believe in TK’s journey because Rubinstein takes us all by the hand and sucks us into the vortex that is TK’s emotional range. It is his scenes that really stand out during this entire two-hour finale. 

At first, it is the uncertainty that he presents to his father and then again with Carlos. Then it is the emotional forgiveness he affords that little boy. 

Even more so, it is the life or death moment where TK tries his hardest to save the bus driver’s life. Finally, it is the moment TK decides to tell his fellow firefighters about his struggles.

All of these moments are the shining stars of the episode, not just because of their content but because of Rubinstein’s charm and skill. If “Awakening” or “Austin, We Have a Problem” have an MVP award, it will definitely go to Ronen Rubinstein for really bringing it home for TK Strand’s journey. 

Another shining star, as always, is Mrs. Grace Ryder. Sierra McClain embodies all that character is meant to be and then some. 

There is a reason her name is Grace. She is kind, gentle, and cool under pressure. Tom from the International Space Station would agree with us — if he could.

Her kindness and love in the face of uncertain death for Tom makes this moment a standout moment of the finale — maybe even the whole season. 

It isn’t often that I praise the emergencies themselves for being wonderful or even worth mentioning, but Tom’s case is different. He tugs at our heartstrings and has all of us praying for a highly unlikely outcome to his story. 

Grace knows this man is going to die and so she does everything in her power to do the one thing he asks — put him in contact with his wife. The worst part of this whole scene is hearing his daughter call out for him as we see him floating — dead. 

It is moments like these that have really carried 9-1-1: Lone Star all season long. Moments where the emergencies bleed into the lives of the first responders and really bring out their best qualities. 

This isn’t the first time Grace has gently and compassionately guided someone through an emergency, but it’s definitely the most memorable one. And we all know she will never be able to forget that call any more than we will.

9-1-1: Lone Star shows us — through Grace — that being a 9-1-1 Operator is oftentimes a thankless job but so many people continue to do it day in and day out.

Now it’s time for the more difficult part of our discussion — the moments that don’t quite make the mark. 

All season long we have followed Michelle Blake’s journey to find her sister. So why do the reveal and reunion feel a bit underwhelming?

Maybe because with everything else going on during the episode, it feels like “Austin, We Have a Problem” fails to really give Iris and Michelle the attention they deserve. We have been waiting all season for this, surely we deserve more attention than throwaway scenes that only add up to a couple of minutes in length.

I want to see Michelle and Iris interact a bit more as sisters before dragging their obtuse mother into the situation. Instead of immediately pulling her from her home to get her “checked out,” 9-1-1: Lone Star would better serve the fans and the characters if they stay in her tent area and really just talk. 

Michelle may have managed to get further with her sister if only she stayed in the tent city with her. Bringing her out of that really isn’t helpful in the slightest, and then having their mom come in and attack her decisions solidifies her distrust of the whole situation. 

Iris is a complicated person with a very real mental health issue, but both Michelle and their mom go about dealing with the situation in the wrong way. While it is great that the show chooses to address the very real issue that is schizophrenia, they don’t really give it the attention needed to bring the audience the information they need.

What 9-1-1: Lone Star shows too much of is a push to fix these individuals instead of supporting them. Luckily, it manages to save itself in the final moments when Michelle accepts that her sister is safest in the tent city.

It’s just really hard to see Michelle throw away what she knows about schizophrenia in order to make amends for her own actions. Granted, it’s hard to do what is truly best when family is involved, so it’s really nice to see Michelle backtrack and try her sister’s way in the end.

Another sore spot for me is the whole situation with Judd and his father. While I love a good Barry Corbin guest spot as much as the next person, I am left wondering why.

If Judd’s father has really been this much of an issue for so long, why does the show wait until the final episodes to bring it up? What is the point?

If it is meant as character building, then, by all means, put it into an episode, but do so earlier in the season. These are the final moments. It is not the time to be adding a totally new dynamic to these characters — especially if this dynamic has no real significance.

We already know that Judd is tough on the outside but actually a gentle giant on the inside, so we don’t really need another unnecessary storyline to tell us this. 

If the point of this is to give insight into Judd’s family dynamic, then go ahead, but earlier in the season. This is the time for a show to expand on truths that have already been revealed so that solutions or conclusions can be created. 

The only good thing to come out of this story is further proof that Grace is cool under pressure and can talk anybody through an emergency.

9-1-1: Lone Star manages to take a stellar first season and close it out with a plethora of emotions and conclusions to our biggest questions. Which, in the simplest sense, makes this episode a winner.

Further Thoughts:

• The use of “Unsteady” and “The Night We Met” as emotional storytelling to intense scenes are perfectly executed and I could honestly watch those scenes for days — and cry a little too.
• Marjan and Mateo are unsung heroes! Here’s hoping we get the chance to explore them a bit more.
• The funniest exchange: “You gonna tell me how long you been seeing her?” “You gonna tell me how long you been seeing the cop?”
• Captain Strand wins for the greatest takeaway line of the finale: “Keep the door open. Keep the light on. Keep trying. Love her the best way you can.”

What did you think of this episode of 9-1-1: Lone Star? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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